Evert Louwman

TIME WITH EVERT LOUWMAN Left The museum is housed in a large new building in The Time with... Hague by American architect Michael Graves. It has met with resistance from Green lobbyists, but Louwman feels he has a commitment to tell EVERT the social history of the car. LOUWMAN The former Toyota and Lexus concessionaire for The Netherlands shows Octane round his own motor museum Words: Martin Van Der Zeeuw Photography: Herman Van Heusden Evert Louwman rarely gives interviews. ‘It full history of the automobile since 1886,’ says shouldn’t be about me. It should be about the museum,’ Louwman. ‘It’s not just about presenting a wide variety he says. Still, the man behind one of the world’s largest of motor cars to a large audience; I believe it’s privately owned car collections and the former Toyota/ interesting to have a representation of every period Lexus importer for Holland finds time to give Octane and every important development in motoring history. a more personal view on the ideas behind the museum, Therefore you can find veteran and vintage motor cars, on buying classic cars with his father and on doing sports and racing cars as well as luxury cars, cycle- business with the Japanese in the 1960s. cars, bubble cars and even a few fire engines. It also ‘Where shall we leave the Royale?’ he asks Ronald shows you the development of coachbuilding and Kooyman, general manager of the Louwman Museum technology; we have a 1917 hybrid car, the Woods Dual in The Hague, Holland. ‘Maybe in the Blue Room,’ says Power. I challenge you to tell me what is missing. Kooyman, without blinking an eye. A Royale? One of six Maybe a Silberpfeil [Silver Arrow], but I would never Bugattis, and one of the world’s most valuable cars? pay the amount of money people ask for a car like that.’ Get to know Evert Louwman a bit better and you We’re in front of the Dodge showroom, a copy realise this is one of his practical jokes. Why else would of the original building owned by Evert Louwman’s he drop the ‘Royale’ name in front of a journalist? But father Piet. It’s part of a whole rebuilt street scene he owns one of the most important classic car from the 1930s, one of the most genuine you will ever collections in the world, so it could be true… see in a motoring museum. Original sections of But then he shows me the guestbook. ‘Look, this is buildings that were demolished decades ago have what it’s all about,’ he says, adding no further comment been reused to give this highlight of the museum an and allowing me to read. ‘It’s all Duesy!’ is one of the original feel. And cars take display precedence over many remarks in the book, which are positive without computers, DVD players and widescreen televisions exception. Another one, from a lady visitor: ‘I came here. ‘They always break down,’ Louwman says. here just to do my husband a favour in accompanying ‘In the 1960s my father and I attended the first classic him, but I’ve really, really enjoyed myself.’ car auctions in Great Britain,’ he continues. ‘In those And it’s obvious that 70-year-old Louwman is very early days we bought cars like the Benz Vélo, which proud of his museum, the new building for which was took part in the London to Brighton Run in 1934. That opened in July 2010 by HM Queen Beatrix of The was the first time he allowed me to drive our car with Netherlands. It displays one of the largest privately the Benz on the trailer behind it; I was more experienced owned car collections in the world in a beautiful in driving a car with a trailer. The Benz is still a very setting, doing justice not only to motoring history, but important car in the collection; we’ve used it in the also to the important role of the motor car in society. London to Brighton Run several times and it has About 230 cars are on display, and the collection is always been the car we display and demonstrate at eclectic to say the least. ‘Our aim was to recount the important functions, like the opening of the museum. OCTANE OCTANE 114 AUGUS T 2011 AUGUS T 2011 115 TIME WITH EVERT LOUWMAN Far left, left and below Toyota’s first car (the AA, 1936-43) was thought extinct but Toyota importer Louwman found this one in Russia; Louwman (on right) with Octane contributor Van Der Zeeuw; HM Queen Beatrix opened the new museum building last year. Of course there were lucky finds too, like a little built on a Lloyd chassis. I still own it. We also went to He imported Toyotas in the 1960s, a time when Japan are quite extreme. ‘Of course I like the Duesenberg Georges Richard we discovered in one of the side motor shows together, like Earls Court in London and had only just emerged as an industrial (and SJ. It’s the best of the best. I believe, however, that ‘A motoring streets of the Champs-Élysées in Paris in the 1950s.’ the Grand Palais in Paris. We could talk for hours, just democratic) society. the Lloyd LP 300 is just as interesting. Or the Hanomag The Louwman family acquired the Riemer sitting on a bench on the Champs-Élysées, watching ‘Communicating with the Japanese required Kommisbrot: a single-cylinder engine, just one IN museum collection in 1968, which at the time was the only cars pass by, gauging them. “Why would someone endless patience; it took a long time before there was headlight, one brake drum, a rear axle without a TimASSOCIATIONe with ... ‘official’ motoring museum in The Netherlands. ‘One have bought that car?” “To what kind of person does a mutual understanding. But everything turned out differential. Back to basics, although compelled by WITH doesn’t only year later our museum, by then called the Nationaal that car belong?” “Crazy colour scheme – typically very positive once this understanding was there. The the economic situation of the time. Still, you could Automobiel Museum, was opened in Leidschendam, French!” “Oh look, such an elegant car, that Delahaye. Japanese stuck to their word and were very loyal. It remove the top and drive it open, like a convertible. show you motor near The Hague, and later moved to Raamsdonksveer,’ Look how it contrasts with all those 2CVs and Traction took patience on the other side too. If it were an Austin-Healey, they would call it a says Louwman. ‘My father, who unfortunately passed Avants.” When you do that, you touch history. It is ‘In The Netherlands it takes a while to gain hardtop. Can you imagine? And then there is a 1921 away before it was opened in 1969, firmly believed that wonderful to realise that my grandfather has seen it confidence when you have something new to offer. At Tamplin cycle-car. Let me tell you that it’s more fun cars, it shows the motor car phenomenon deserved a museum all develop from horse-drawn carriages to motorised that time Japanese products were hardly known in to drive than a Porsche 911.’ because of its unparalleled role in society, which it vehicles. And that in 1923 my father was the first Holland. But I knew the Toyota had a few unique It’s a question that is just as predictable as it is you social changed completely. The automobile industry is one importer in Holland for Dodge and Moon automobiles. selling points: the Corolla, for instance, was a much inevitable: does Evert Louwman still have anything of the largest in the world, employing hundreds of By the way, we’ve found a Moon for the collection. I’ve more “complete” car compared with the small cars to wish for? Shrugging his shoulders, he answers: history’ thousands of people. The motor car has proved to be been looking for one for almost 30 years!’ available in Europe in those days, like the Volkswagen ‘The collection is so complete that it is very difficult to an invention of major importance. You can’t do without You can see the twinkle in his eyes when he says Beetle and the Renault 4. Toyota’s top model, the point out what I’d still like to add to it. I would like a it any more. Therefore its story has to be told. that. Evert Louwman is a very passionate man, but Crown, was an extremely safe and strong car. The Series I Volkswagen Golf, two-door, silver, but these A motoring museum doesn’t only show you motor also charismatic and a genuine businessman. His thud you could hear when closing the door made are not around anymore. Queen Wilhelmina’s Spyker, cars, it shows you social history.’ company holds a record for long-term employment: Rolls-Royce envious. Apart from that, Toyota’s but that isn’t there anymore either, so…’ Asked about his father, who started the collection some of his employees have been working for him for service and spare parts supply were excellent from Rest assured: if by any chance Queen Wilhelmina’s in 1934 and who was his mentor, Louwman says: ‘He 25 or even 30 years the start. That’s the way to break through in Holland: Spyker still exists, anywhere in the world, or even was a very special man. Let me think… What can I say The ‘company’ is, of course, not only the museum.

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